Endowed Positions: $2 Million per Position

The Director of Libraries position was endowed by the Carnegie Corporation in honor of Azariah Smith Root, College Librarian from 1887 to 1927. It is the library’s only endowed position.

The Oberlin Illuminate Campaign provides several opportunities to create named endowed library positions at the $2 million dollar level. Endowing any of these positions will ensure that the library can continue to support teaching, learning, and research and maintain its quality as one of the very finest liberal arts college libraries in the US.

College Archivist. The college archivist is responsible for managing Oberlin’s archival collections that document the history of the college and for making them available for teaching, learning, and research.

Special Collections Librarian. The special collections librarian manages and develops Oberlin's special and rare book collections and partners with faculty to incorporate those collections into the curriculum.

Conservatory Librarian. The conservatory librarian has overall responsibility for the operations and services of the Oberlin Conservatory of Music Library, one of the premier music libraries in the nation.

Conservatory Special Collections Librarian. The conservatory special collections librarian is responsible for music special collections, including the James and Susan Neumann Jazz Collection and the Frederick Selch Collection in American Music History. These collections provide rich resources in support of teaching, learning, and research in the conservatory.

Art Librarian. The art librarian is responsible for the operations and services of the Clarence Ward Art Library, which serves the Department of Art, the Allen Memorial Art Museum, and the college and conservatory generally.

Science Librarian. The science librarian is responsible for the operations and services of Oberlin’s Science Library, which serves users studying the natural sciences.